Title: Judging the will of God for your life
Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
The other day I had a very vivid image go through my mind of a house we lived in back in Nebraska. It was a beautiful summer day about 10 years ago. I remember that the grass was green and I was mowing it was hot so I stopped to get a drink of water and looked around at my neighbors and the flowers and my garden, and for a moment I wished I was back there in that time in that place. In my mind I thought what if I was to leave write now, move my family and try to go back…. would it be the same.
Of course I quickly put the thought out of my head because I knew it wouldn’t be the same
That it would be wrong
And that where I was at now was right were God wanted me to be.
How do I know I am in God’s will
1. the Word of God demonstrates to me that my life is being spent in accordance with his will
2. The Holy Spirit of God Confirms to me that where I am at and what I am doing is God’s perfect plan
3. My circumstances declare the divine providence of God in my life
We can be preoccupied with thoughts like this.
Of how our life was at a different time.
How it could be better IF ONLY
This was true of the Israelites
Psalm 137:1-4
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
[2] There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
[3] for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
[4] How can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a foreign land?
The Israelites did not like where they were,
They had judged or determined that they had been handed a raw deal
but the truth is their captivity was given them according to God’s plan
In there case it was a judgement for their unfaithfulness to the Lord.
They had been an idolatrous nation for centuries.
God was performing his will by having them in that location
And after returning from captivity history records that they would never again be an idolatrous people.
__________
I think sometimes people judge that they are being held captive by there circumstances, relationship, job, or even by a place,
That they are somehow not where they are supposed to be
but
actually they are still in the center of God’s will for their life
Let me ask you a question……………..
When was the last time you sat down and prayed and asked God what his will for your life is?
Or when was the last time that you sought the Lord asking him if you were on the right track fulfilling his plan for your life?
Are you in God’s will?
The purpose of my message this morning is to get us to realize that we must seek the Lord and judge correctly in these matters.
And be like Jesus who said…John 6:38
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Because as someone has said "the center of God’s will is our only safety"
Prayer
Throughout scripture we see examples of God’s plans being played out.
I want to share some important principles from these examples that will help us as we Judge the will of God for our lives….
I. It is man’s place to help carry out the plans of God
Exodus 40:16
Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.
God told Moses how to build the tabernacle, and Moses delegated jobs in order to do it.
God allows people to participate with him in carrying out his will.
Our task is not just to sit and watch God work, but to give your best effort when work needs to be done.
Ill never forget a picture of ziggy "Go God Go"
Our place should be "how may I help God How may I help"
God may never direct you to build a tabernacle or an ark or a temple
But he has given you a life to grow
A family to watch over
A church to take part in
A job to do you best at
A community to get involved in
In Matthew 28 Jesus told we disciples his plan for us…IT was Go>>>>>>>>>
God’s will is that man would help carry out his plans
He has the plan and the power but we must do it………
_____________
Once, while a preacher was out hoeing his garden he was asked, what would you do if you suddenly learned that you were to die at sunset today? , he replied, I would finish hoeing my Garden…..
II. Nothing can prevent the will of God
There are many examples that illustrate this truth but I like the story of Ahab and Jehoshiphat…
In 2 Chronicles 18:33 Micaiah prophesied death for Ahab (2 Chron. 18:16, 27), so Ahab disguised himself to fool the enemy. Apparently the disguise worked, but that didn’t change the prophecy. A random Aramean arrow found a crack in his armor and killed him. God fulfills his will despite the defenses people try to erect.
God can use anything, even an error, to bring his will to pass.
This is good news for us because we can trust him to work his plans and keep his promises no matter how desperate our circumstances are.
furthermore, He who tries to go against the plans of God fight God.
Consider the Words of Gamaliel in Acts…"But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them, you might even be found fighting against God!"
III. We should seek God’s will first
(Proverbs 19:21)
"Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand"
A minister received a call from a church that offered him a salary four times what he was then receiving. Being a devout man, he spent much time in prayer trying to discern what God wanted him to do. One day a friend met the ministers young son on the street, "DO you know what your dad is going to do"? He Asked. "Well, replied the boy, "Dads praying, but moms packing!"
It is human nature to make our own plans and then ask God to bless them. Instead, we should seek God’s will first. By constantly thinking about the Lord and his way of living, we will gain insights that will help us make right decisions and live the way God desires. Communicating with God allows him to counsel us and give us wisdom.
Psalm 16:7-8
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
[8] I have set the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Seek God’s will first.
Don’t be afraid of what he might lead you to do
Because God will not call you to do anything that he will not empower you for.
IV. Doing God’s will doesn’t guarantee a comfortable life
Some people teach that in God’s will people have prosperity….
Consider Mary and Joseph
Matthew 2:3-6
The government had forced Joseph to make a long trip just to pay his taxes.
His fiancée, who had to go with him, was going to have a baby any moment.
But when they arrived in Bethlehem, they couldn’t even find a place to stay.
When we do God’s will, we are not guaranteed a comfortable life.
But we are promised that everything, even our discomfort, has meaning in God’s plan.
The Bible tells us
"Thank God in everything—no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks; for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus the…the revealer of that will" (I Thess. 5:18).
John Baptistes example
He didn’t want lead people in to a false belief that doing God’s will guaranteed a comfortable life.
V. Following God’s plan may entail staying put
My daughter had her 10th birthday this week and for her party we watched the animated version of the King and I. At one part in the film the central character who is a teacher shows her pupils a map of their country (Siam or Thailand). Then she proceeds to bring out a map they had never seen before. It was a map of Europe and Asia showing Siam as a rather obscure country in a very large world.
One of the pupils stood up to the teacher and shook his fist, "no" this is not possible Siam is the center of all things and the palace is the center of the universe.
Many people I meet here can’t imagine anything bigger then this place
For them HERE is the center of their universe
While others long for someplace bigger
For them THIS is a confining prison
But if you are In Gods will and in this place even though it may seem a confining prison you are right where you are supposed to be……
Consider Paul
Ephes. 6:19-20
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Undiscouraged and undefeated, Paul wrote powerful letters of encouragement from prison.
Notice that Paul did not ask the Ephesians to pray that his chains would be removed, but that he would continue to speak fearlessly for Christ in spite of them.
God can use us in any circumstance to do his will.
Even if we are praying for a change in our circumstances,
we should also pray that God will accomplish his plan through us right where we are.
Finally
Everyone Shoulf have a plan for judging or determining God’s will
5 steps for discerning God’s will for your life
1. Be willing to Think (don’t do something based solely on feelings)
2. Weigh the long term consequences of an action
3. Take advise it shows maturity
4. Be honest with ourselves about why we are planing to do what we are going to do
5. We must be willing to wait upon the Lord. When in doubt wait upon the Lord.
Conclusion
Do you ever feel like you are being held captive by your circumstances, relationship, job, or even by a place,
When was the last time you sat down and prayed and asked God what his will for your life is
Or when was the last time that you sought the Lord asking him if you were on the right track fulfilling his plan for your life.
God wants us to seek him and have assurance that we are in the center of his plans for us
